God comes to You

On our corner as we got home

Saves on property tax.

Summer in Central

We went for a walk in the park.

We THINK this was the "Sweet Charity" bridge

This kept man didn't have the heart to push him in. Anyway he didn't have a purse.

The Dairy   now a magnet for  Sheldon.

Yes it's a gift shop.

Sheldon breathes in the aroma of gift

Can I have this?       NO!

What about this?

Now this is true love!   Sheldon took me to the zoo!

In the zoo we saw some beautiful creatures

I love goats!  And there seemed to be a plethora of them.

And now some real ones

Strange Music

I wish we had seen THE SHAGGS: PHILOSOPHY OF THEWORLD a little earlier in its run at the Playwrights Horizon (it closes in three days) because I would have said run as fast as you can to see one of the most original, disturbing, hilarious and tragic musicals to come along in years. Based on a true story, this is the tale of Austin Wiggin who forced his three talent-free teenage daughters to form a musical group and record an album in 1969 because his mother had predicted before she died that his girls would be his fortune. The resulting album of songs written by the girls themselves was incredibly unspeakably terrible but Wiggin nonetheless subjected his family to a reign of terror as he strove to launch them on the music scene from their home in Freemont, New Hampshire. The album has since achieved legendary status in much the same way that Ed Wood's PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE is considered to be the worst movie of all time.

The creators of the musical, Joy Gregory, Gunnar Madsen and John Langs, have created a haunting score in which the three sisters sing like angels in their bedroom and in their fantasies but become tuneless drones in the recording studio.

Peter Friedman as the psychotic Austin gives a terrifying and uncompromising performance, his voice as harsh and strident as his misguided ambition.

 Annie Golden as his put-upon wife stops the show with her second act ballad "Flyin'" where she acknowledges that her husband lives somewhere in the clouds but to turn her back on him would be akin to dyin'.

The direction by John Langs and choreography by Ken Roht spring some glorious surprises including a brilliantly funny dream ballet in a supermarket.

The cast features knockout performances from Jamey Hood, Sarah Sokolovic and Emily Walton as the Shaggs and Cory Michael Smith as Kyle, young suitor to two of the sisters who becomes a victim of Austin's overbearing protectiveness.
tt predicts a long life for this piece in regional theatre, and it will certainly reignite a cult following for the original album which, if you listen to a couple of tracks on YouTube, absolutely beggars belief.

Special Heads

(tt) A couple of regular readers of this blog might recognise these two heads..... one in particular

Hello secret fans!

colour my world

(tt)  This morning I was on 2nd ave and saw this painted tenement. I liked it!

The Doll Wins A Doll

(tte )   Yesterday was greyish and sultry...much like my complexion now I am on a detox diet!  Doll braved the subway toot surl  and we gabbled and rattled our way to Coney Island. I know I have bored the pants off some of you with my shots of seed and hope but it's always a different experience each time

More panes on the subway walls upon arrival

The original from a Fatty Arbuckle film

Where is she now? Did she marry Luigi and settle down in Queens?  Was she sick on the Parachute drop?
Did she make out under the boardwalk?

Is this Luigi?

Is this their little Carmelina?  Oh what mysteries we are flung on the Ferris Wheel of Life!

Our first port of call.

As was



 The Doll  indulges.

And her poison of choice?

Hers looked even deader than these. I had healthy fries!! Bye bye detox.

A  kind lady thought either this was artistic or had eaten what Doll had.

This lady stared at my ensemble with total contempt. Here is my revenge.

Doll and I five minutes after eating

I ran up Surf Ave to take this beauty.

"Who Will Buy..this wonderful land fill"

I want this designer to do our place.

Another new section has been added this season

All sorts of Mixmasters designed to whip the chilli dogs up and out and over the heads of their next victims.

These

did this!

Mother Nature will win

Nothing in the Sream Zone appealed to Doll. I suggested the calm revolution of

 I reassued her the middle section of gently rocking cars would suit her need for calm

Her bawls could be heard in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
But even she was impressed by our operator.

What a ride.

This was a balloon game which really needed a full complement of players to work and pay any divs. But Doll worked her charm on the barker and had a rigged go

She learned a few tricks form her lesson in Kentucky
Here she is claiming her prize

And here is Tony di Coney

who is guaranteed to disintegrate over the course of  Doll and Noodle's European odyssey.

All the fun of the fair

Some grabs

And finally here is one for all you "fearoclownics"

The view we didn't see

As was

Thanks Doll for a wonderful day and bon voyage!